Vol. 23, No. 36
YOUR HOMETOWN NEWS
September 3, 2021
East Bay A majestic mural park district workers get pay increase
Brentwood council to meet in person again
by Jake Menez, Staff Writer
REGIONAL East Bay park workers were expected to ratify a new contract on Sept. 1, according to a press release dated Aug. 31. The agreement ends eight months of negotiations that came to a head with the threat of a strike to take place over Labor Day weekend and addresses concerns regarding park employees’ wage gap. “A recent report showed East Bay Park workers make 10% less than other people doing the same jobs in our region,” the release states. “For some park workers who say they’ve had to find second jobs to make ends meet, the pay increase will make a substantial difference in their lives. see Strike page 18A
by Kyle Szymanski
O
When complete, the plant, using a reverse osmosis process, will produce about 6 million gallons of drink-
BRENTWOOD City residents looking forward to the return of in-person City Council meetings will have to keep being patient. The council recently decided it will begin holding in-person meetings as soon as Sept. 14, but at first only masked and COVID-19-vaccinated councilmembers and city staff will be invited into the chambers. Public teleconference attendance options will remain available. “We are taking a precaution,” said City Councilmember Karen Rarey. “We are doing it for the safety of our residents and for our staff and other commissioners.” Once it has tested its own return, the council intends to reevaluate all its options, including holding in-person city commission meetings and welcoming the public back into the chambers. The council has been holding virtual meetings since shortly after the onset of the pandemic in early 2020. In June this year, they tentatively decided to begin meeting in council chambers without public attendance beginning in September, before possibly reopening meetings to the public in October. But city leaders say the area’s current COVID-19 case figures and vaccination rates are a source of concern as they look ahead to welcoming the public back into the chambers. Brentwood has had 522 new COVID-19 cases the last two weeks, the fifth-highest number out of 31 county areas tracked. The city’s
see Desalination page 18A
see Return page 18A
n A Street, in the heart of Antioch, the Love Conquers All mural was installed and whose design was inspired by feelings of love, hope, community, creativity and artistry. With the support of One Day At a Time (ODAT), Hermain Ambriz, a member of the community who consistently gives back through youth outreach, finished the project with the help of his brother, Jose, in six days. For the complete story, see page 3 To view a video of the event, visit www.thepress.net/multimedia
Antioch launches the region’s first water desalination project by Tony Kukulich
“ It’s a great project for our city. It’s really helping
ANTIOCH The city of Antioch’s water supply has been challenged in recent years by a variety of factors. But the Brackish Water Desalination Project, the first desalination project of its kind in the five-county Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region, is intended to improve the reliability of the city’s water. The city filed its notice of preparation for the project just over four years ago and then broke ground on the plant in February of this year. “I believe that we’re about a
us expand our water resources and protect our water rights. Hopefully this is something residents can really see value in.
Correspondent
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John Samuelson, public works director and city engineer for the city of Antioch quarter of the way complete with the work,” said John Samuelson, public works director/city engineer for the city of Antioch. “It’s expected to be completed in the middle of 2023.”
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Suspects charged with murder
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